Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) 2017-2019
Deborah Heart and Lung Center Community Health Needs Assessment Improvement Plan ( CHIP ) December 2016 About Deborah Heart and Lung Center At the heart of Deborah s mission is compassion, as reflected in our founding motto: There is no price on life. For close to 100 years, Deborah has cared for those in need, regardless of race, gender, sexual preference, creed, color, religion, age, national origin, handicap or ability to pay. We are the only adult hospital in the nation that is recognized by the federal government as permitted to routinely waive co-pays and deductibles, without a determination of financial need. In fact, Deborah has never balance billed any patient for the hospital, physician or ancillary services care provided on the hospital s campus in Browns Mills, New Jersey, giving away millions of dollars of care each year. At Deborah, we believe we represent the type of traditional, nonprofit, charitable hospital that has been the backbone of the nation s healthcare system. Deborah s mission is to provide the necessary facilities, equipment, medical staff and financial resources required to deliver the highest quality inpatient and outpatient services for the diagnosis and treatment of heart, lung and vascular disease within the hospital s service area. We strive to be the premier provider of cardiovascular and pulmonary services in the region. Every employee and volunteer at Deborah works every day to provide excellent clinical outcomes, achieve top tier customer satisfaction scores and serve as a leader in patient safety and privacy. At Deborah, we embrace our role as a leading and innovative healthcare facility. We host one of the largest cardiology teaching programs in the country, bringing new physicians from all over the country and the world to our campus. We also host numerous other teaching programs, including nursing, allied health and administrative training. New advances in heart, lung and vascular care are almost always available in the earliest stages at Deborah as a result of our Clinical Research Department. The Department attracts offers of research studies providing promising new treatments and technologies for our patients. This teaching and research platform has allowed the grass-roots sponsored Deborah of 1922 to continue to thrive in the high-tech and capital intensive world of 2016. A Commitment to Community Health Deborah is committed to reaching out to, and into, our surrounding communities to meet the unique healthcare needs of our neighbors. As a stand-alone specialty hospital, we pride ourselves on our ability to create and maintain partnerships with individuals, other hospitals and healthcare entities, corporations, labor organizations, service organizations and foundations to provide community-based and community-focused care. Our community programs include providing and/or supporting access to care for the uninsured and underinsured, offering educational programs, arranging screening opportunities for the elderly, veterans and adolescents and sponsoring services and programs for children.
CHNA Partnership To guide our community health improvement efforts, in 2016 Deborah joined a regional partnership comprised of four other acute care hospitals to conduct a regional Community Health Needs Assessment (the 2016 CHNA ). The self-designated five-hospital South Jersey Health Partnership ( SJHP ) pooled resources to conduct a CHNA in the four county area serviced by the members: Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Ocean. The SJHP worked with county health departments and local community partners to collect health data, gather feedback on regional and local health needs, and develop coordinated plans to address priority health needs. The 2016 CHNA was conducted between February and September, 2016 and was intended to provide continuity of purpose for Deborah and to follow our 2013 CHNA. This new 2016 CHNA was conducted in a timeline designed to comply with the requirements set forth in the Affordable Care Act, and to document Deborah s commitment to community health and population health management. The findings of the 2016 CHNA will be used by Deborah to guide community outreach initiatives and to motivate our partners to assist us in addressing the identified health needs in Fiscal Years 2017, 2018, and 2019. Deborah s 2016 CHNA can be found at include web link to CHNA. SJHP Partners: Cooper University Health Care (Cooper University Hospital) Deborah Heart and Lung Center Kennedy Health (Cherry Hill, Stratford, Washington Township) Lourdes Health System (Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County) Virtua Health (Virtua Marlton, Virtua Memorial, Virtua Voorhees) *In cooperation with Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Ocean County Health Departments.
Map of South Jersey Health Partnership Hospitals Community Health Improvement Plan Deborah has chosen to address the following health needs, identified in the 2016 CHNA, as part of the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Community Health Improvement Plan ( CHIP ) cycle because they are within the scope of our specialty services, are aligned with our mission and meet the needs of our surrounding communities. Priority Area 1: Linkages to Care CHNA Goal: Improve access to healthcare and assist in coordination of care Increase access to healthcare by supporting providers (primary care, specialty care, diagnostic services) in the community Reduce inappropriate and/or avoidable ED usage Reduce transportation barriers to healthcare services Foster/expand current relationships and create new relationships with community partner organizations Coordinate access to specialty and diagnostic specialty services for military families and veterans
Priority Area 2: Chronic Disease Management CHNA Goal: Increase identification of and improve access to treatment for people with chronic disease Provide screenings for chronic diseases in the community Expand screening events to include greater physician/provider participation Incorporate measurement tools to track the impact of screenings on improved healthcare knowledge Remove barriers to access by supporting chronic disease services in the community Identify and work with community partners to address social determinants and nonmedical needs that contribute to poor adherence to treatment plans Identify and work with community partners to improve chronic disease management Provide education and support to target adolescent health behaviors that contribute to chronic disease Provide community tools that aid in reducing readmission of patients with chronic disease Priority Area 3: Cancer CHNA Goal: Increase identification of and improve access to treatment for people with cancer Develop and/or partner with entities for community-targeted cancer screenings Support increased access to cancer care in our immediate and primary service areas Provide education designed to improve disease management for cancer patients and family members/caregivers Priority Area 4: Issues of Aging CHNA Goal: Assist seniors in our immediate and primary services areas age successfully and maintain independence Develop and/or partner with community providers to offer community education programs on aging related issues Identify options to provide in-home, person-centered care for patients with chronic illnesses or other health problems Seek community partners to develop/provide geriatric assessment programs Coordinate with community partners to reduce transportation issues for seniors Identify community partners able to develop a memory assessment program at Deborah for seniors
Priority Area #5: Support the LGBTQ Community CHNA Goal: Create a healthcare environment that supports the health needs of the LGBTQ community. Identify and partner with organizations to increase awareness of the healthcare needs of the LGBTQ community Create a resource network to address identified healthcare needs Identify and develop LGBTQ partnership forum opportunities with county health departments and other regional health agencies